The present invention relates to an apparatus and a brick member for supporting a ceramic tube during firing thereof. Particularly, the present invention is directed to such an apparatus and brick member for supporting and suspending the tube by its upper end during the time the tube is fired.
Ceramic tubes cannot be fired while standing or lying on their side in a furnace, for example an electric furnace, because the ceramic tubes thereby would be distorted. Such ceramic tubes therefore conventionally are fired while suspended.
A known supporting or suspension apparatus requires that the ceramic tubes be formed to an excessive length, i.e. a length greater than required. The excess or surplus portion of the tube is provided with holes through which extends a ceramic rod. Such rod is positioned in the apparatus with the tubes suspended therefrom and such that the tube can swing about the axis of such ceramic rod. The holes through the ceramic tube therefore must be formed exactly perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the ceramic tube, since otherwise the tube would hang from the ceramic rod in a direction with the tube axis slanted or inclined to the vertical, and this also would lead to distortion of the tube. Additionally, it is not unusual for the ceramic tube to break at the areas of the holes or for the ceramic rod to snap. This is ultimately due to the basic nature of this support arrangement wherein the holes provide relatively small bearing areas. Additionally, in this type of support arrangement after firing of the ceramic tubes it is necessary that the excess tube length be removed.